Omar Bennett
The Constitution of the United States, written in 1787, was a document that superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. The Articles of Confederation, which was drafted in 1777 and ratified in 1781, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, or print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. The Constitution, on the other hand, created a federal system with a national government composed of three separated powers, addressing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First constitution of the United States | Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union |
| Date of first draft | 6 August 1787 |
| Date of final document | 12 September 1787 |
| Date of signing | 17 September 1787 |
| Number of signatures | 39 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Amendments | 27 |
| Bill of Rights | First 10 Amendments |
| Purpose | To revise the Articles of Confederation |
| Result | Introduced a new form of government |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money. The states’ disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. The Articles provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive, no national power of taxation, a lack of standard currency, and voting by state. These flaws would eventually lead to its failure.
Fearing that their young country was on the brink of collapse, nationalists led by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington began working towards strengthening the federal government. Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787.
The Constitution of the United States was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states, in order to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new form of government. It created a federal system with a national government composed of three separated powers: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The Constitution was intended as a revision of the Articles of Confederation, but it introduced a completely new form of government.
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The need for a stronger federal government
The United States Constitution was written in 1787 to replace the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, which created a weak federal government. The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money. The states’ disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, feared their young country was on the brink of collapse.
Nationalists, led by Madison, Washington, Hamilton, John Jay, and James Wilson, began working toward strengthening the federal government. Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. The delegates came up with a completely new form of government, creating a powerful central government.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, in which the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The Constitution thus provided for a stronger federal government by creating a federal system with three separated powers, addressing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitution also included provisions for both reserved and concurrent powers of states, ensuring a balance between state and federal authority. The ratification process further demonstrated the importance of a strong federal government, as it required the approval of only nine out of the thirteen states, a two-thirds majority, rather than unanimous approval from all the states as outlined in the Articles of Confederation. This process reflected a recognition that a unified and more centralized government was necessary to secure the country's future and address the divisions among the states.
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The Grand Convention
Alexander Hamilton played a key role in convincing Congress to organize the Grand Convention. The convention was attended by delegates from 12 states and was presided over by George Washington. The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government but instead created a completely new form of government with a federal system and a national government composed of three separated powers: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total to 39 signatures. The Constitution was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City, the nation's temporary capital, just three days after it was signed. The document was intended as a revision of the Articles of Confederation but introduced a new form of government, addressing the weaknesses of the previous constitution. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789, and became the supreme law of the land.
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The Declaration of Independence
The deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation became increasingly evident as the young nation faced disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. Fearing that these issues could tear the country apart, prominent figures such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington took it upon themselves to strengthen the federal government and address the shortcomings of the Articles. They recognized the need for a more robust and unified form of government that could effectively address the challenges facing the nation.
As a result, a Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia in 1787, bringing together delegates from 12 states. This convention, led by George Washington and with significant contributions from James Madison, resulted in the creation of a new form of government. The Constitution, written during that summer, established a federal system with three separate powers: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It provided a framework for a more effective and powerful central government, addressing the issues that had plagued the young nation under the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitution, signed on September 1787, superseded the Articles of Confederation and became the supreme law of the land. It outlined the rights and responsibilities of the federal government and the states, ensuring a balance of power and protecting individual liberties. The ratification process, outlined in Article VII, required the approval of nine out of the 13 states, demonstrating a commitment to a representative form of governance. The Constitution's impact extended beyond the legal framework, inspiring democratic ideals and freedom around the world.
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The ratification process
The process began with the submission of the document to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City, the nation's temporary capital, just days after its signing. Recognising the need for a stronger federal government, Congress voted to forward the proposal to the states for their consideration.
Each state's governor received a letter of notification, which they then submitted to their state legislature. The state legislatures organised conventions to debate and vote on the Constitution. This process took months, with some states ratifying and others hesitating. By June 1788, nine states had ratified, ensuring the Constitution would take effect for those states. The ninth state to ratify was New Hampshire on June 21, 1788.
The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Articles of Confederation had been ratified by all 13 colonies on March 1, 1781, nearly four years after they were sent to the states for approval. The lengthy process of ratifying the Articles highlights the challenges faced in achieving unanimous approval from all states, an issue that was addressed in the ratification process for the Constitution by only requiring a two-thirds majority.
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Frequently asked questions
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States.
The Articles gave little power to the central government and lacked enforcement powers. It also did not provide for a national power of taxation, a standard currency, and had a weak executive.
The Constitution was written to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new form of government. It created a federal system with a national government composed of three separated powers.
The Constitution was written by delegates from 12 states. James Madison is known as the "Father of the Constitution" due to his contributions to the formation of the new government. Gouverneur Morris wrote the Constitution's final language.
The Constitution was written in the summer of 1787 and signed on September 17, 1787.
